Mark Bowen, president of the British Equine Veterinary Association, said: “In the past two years our understanding of this awful condition in horses has increased considerably. We now know that sycamore seeds contain the highly toxic agents that cause SPM and there are practical things that we can advise owners to do that minimise the risk to their animals.”

High winds in 2014 spread the seeds, and the National Equine Health survey recorded four times as many cases as the year before.

H&H vet Karen Coumbe added: “Now is the time of year that problems with this condition are likely to occur. It is too early to know how serious it will be [this year], but hopefully with publicity, owners will be more aware of the condition and how to avoid it.”

Seeds should be cleared from pasture, areas with seeds on the ground should be fenced off and additional forage should be supplied to reduce the chance of horses eating seeds.

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